For The Love Of
by tylergoldeyes
Summary: Under the full moon, the girls' powers are enhanced, but in a strange turn of fate the Island grants an unsolicited gift to an unexpected boy. AU Starts at the beginning of Season 2.
1. Chapter 1

_Ow_ , _what the hell?_

That was the first thing to enter Lewis' pounding head as he tried to focus his eyes on the dim, cloudy sky above him. Taking a moment to gather his bearings, he laid against the unforgiving ground, sopping wet from the night before. He raised his head slowly, turning it to look up and down the sandy beach along the shore of Mako Island before raising into a sitting position and turning to look at the dark cone of the island's central volcano.

 _Oh, for the love of Christmas…_ That was his next thought, or at least something along those lines. He let his head drop back, squinting against the filtered light of the early morning din, he allowed himself a moment of self pity. His head was killing him, his back ached where it had clearly had an unfriendly encounter with something hard and he just knew his day was about to get worse, especially if the chill being carried on the sea breeze was anything to go by. Both of his shoes were missing and he was wearing only khaki shorts and a white short sleeved button down t-shirt, he knew that he was going to get cold in his sodden state.

Taking one more look down both ends of the beach Lewis determined that he was sat roughly where he left his boat, yet it was nowhere to be seen. Being on that particular island, Lewis didn't even bother to check his phone, he knew there would be no signal. He was broken out of his musings by a particularly infuriating creature; a sandfly. Swatting at the infernal winged demons that started to take an interest in him he stood up and made his way towards the tree line. There was no point in standing out in the mercy of a chilled sea breeze, especially when he was still dripping wet.

As it happened, Lewis didn't have to walk far as he found a clear patch of dirt, free of any dried leaves that may house lurking scorpions, behind a small row of trees. It allowed him enough cover to be mostly free from the onslaught of the oceanic draught but also allowed him enough of a clear view to signal any boats if needed.

He sat down heavily, letting out a sigh broken up by the first of his shivers. He was having a pretty terrible morning, that was not in contention, but it was nothing compared to the night before.

* * *

 _The second that Lewis realised that he had the wrong time for moonrise he immediately went to the window. Pulling the curtains back sharply, his eyes met the relentless glow of the silver full moon. He frowned, keeping his head low but his eyes pinned on its taunting visage, causing an angry shadow to dance beneath his brow. He hated it even then, what it represented, the lack of control and danger it posed to all of them. But mostly because it is a reminder that he cannot protect the girls from it, not fully. Scientists, crazy boyfriends and random bodies of water he could handle, but the moon always managed to take whatever confidence he had around magic and shattered it into a million tiny pieces._

 _Lewis whipped the curtains shut again, turning back toward the large space that made up Emma Gilbert's kitchen, dining room and living room._

 _"_ _Girls don't-" he started, quickly silencing himself after realising there was no one around to hear him. He walked further into the room, thinking they'd be on the main stairs or in the space by the front door. He was met with an open front door and a distinctly empty hallway._

 _"_ _Girls?" He called into the apparently vacant house. Realising what the returned silence meant, he ran outside, following in the footsteps of the three young mermaids before him. He quickly made his way down to the dock at the back of the Gilbert residence, calling to the three moonstruck women._

 _"_ _Guys, stop." He said, attempting to keep his voice calm and even. "Don't look at the water. Turn around and come back to the house." Taking the time to breath heavily when he could, he tried to remain encouraging but only managed to sound mildly panicked. The girls all slowly turned their heads towards the blond boy, regarding him with their cold, blank stares. Lewis took this as a good sign, remaining ever optimistic._

 _"_ _Good, it's me. It's Lewis, your friend." he pleaded, still panting. For a moment he thought they might listen to him, that they might have control back, but that changed when they did not react and turned their heads back to the shining waters of the canal. He knew what was coming next._

 _"_ _No no no no, don't do that. You're only going to make things-" he was quickly cut off by a splash, as all three girls dove into the canal and disappeared. "Worse." he finished with a sigh._

 _Taking a moment to curse himself, his software and the moon itself as well as to gather himself for what may be one of the most ridiculous plans he's ever carried out. He quickly made his way to the marina in record timing, knowing the girls were headed to Mako, he jumped in his small aluminium boat and drove as fast as he could out into the open ocean. He quickly dialled Cleo's number leaving a rushed message about where he was going as he sped out into the choppy waves._

 _Bouncing across the top of the rough sea, Lewis cursed himself, knowing that whatever happened tonight was his fault, that he had put his girlfriend and the girls he considered to be his closest friends in danger because of_ his _need to understand. That made guilt bubble up in his chest, causing him to swallow hard and grind his teeth in order to focus on getting them out of the trouble he brought upon them. He stayed in that half self deprecating, half planning state until he reached the Western shore of Mako Island._

 _The moment that his feet hit the sand, Lewis was focused and running for the Moon Pool land entrance, tearing through the jungle at an alarming rate. His shins, arms and face stung as he collided into various branches as listening for the telltale sound of the inland waterfall. Hearing the consistent hiss of gushing water he made a sharp left and tore trough the tree line, bursting out onto the rocky landscape that surrounds the Moon Pool. Lewis was thankful for the amount times he had traversed the treacherous landscape as it allowed him to skilfully leap from point to point, before finally sliding down into the cave without any hesitation._

 _Lewis had never been in the cave during a full moon before, he noted the natural glow produced by the water was more vibrant and the air crackled with energy. While he admitted it was beautiful, the feeling set him on edge but did not frighten him. He decided to make a note of that later and come back on another full moon to make a more detailed analysis. His research, however quickly gave way to anxiety over the girls as the rippling pool was distinctly empty of any mermaids._

 _"_ _Cleo? Girls? Are you in here?" he called out into the echoing chamber "It's me, Lewis". He sighed running a hand through his windblown hair. A smooth, monotone voice sounded behind him._

 _"_ _Lewis" The aforementioned boy whipped around to see a lone blonde mermaid staring at him, blank and cold as the grave._

 _"_ _Emma," he sighed relieved that he had found one of his friends. "You're lucky I found you. Where are the others?"_

 _As if on cue the remaining two girls rose silently to the surface, staring just as blankly at the one that intruded upon their home. Lewis softened further, relieved that they were both safe. Seeing the blankness behind their eyes, however, Lewis quickly formulated a plan._

 _"_ _Lewis" Cleo stated with an intensity that she was not usually capable of commanding._

 _"_ _Cleo," Lewis said softly, dropping his guard slightly at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. "are you alright?"_

 _"_ _You have to leave Lewis." She responded in the same flat voice._

 _"_ _We told you" Rikki chimed in, her voice conveying more anger than the two girls before her. "We don't need your help."_

 _"_ _I was really worried about you. I take full responsibility for everything that's happened tonight." he said encouragingly, trying to meet their eyes. "Let's go home." Cleo swam forward to the edge of the glowing pool looking at Lewis fully for the first time all night._

 _"_ _We are home." she deadpanned._

 _Lewis recoiled a bit at that, looking around nervously at the cavern walls, expecting them to give him the answers. Now that he was crouched he could feel the thrum of energy beneath his hand shift, becoming more intense as the moon began to creep its way over the cone of the volcano. He would later swear that it was then he knew something was going to happen. In reality, however, he brushed it off as nerves._

 _He started "Yeah, well I thoug-" he was cut off by Cleo raising her hand towards him, sending a strong blast of air swirling around him, catching him off guard. As the newly stirred wind encircled the body of the now terrified boy Rikki raised her hand to the heavens, drawing in a more static feeling, filling the air with ozone as lighting began to jump across the skyward hole._

 _"_ _You can't take us" called Emma, rather too menacingly for Lewis' liking. "But we can take you."_

 _She raised her hand towards her petrified friend, strengthening the air around him enough to lift him off of his feet. Flailing, panicking and desperate Lewis pleaded to know what was going on as he was lifted higher and higher towards the now lighting filled sky. Just as he thought he was going to be sucked into the forming cyclone above his head, the moon centred itself fully, causing the pool bellow to bubble and broil with magic. This distracted the ravenous mermaids, bathing them in comforting warm glow, causing them to drop their prey. Lewis then crashed into the pool below, knocking against the tails of his friends turned assailants. Disoriented, he clawed at the water, feeling claustrophobic from the amount of space left by the fins as well as being unprepared for the lack of air surrounding him._

 _His feet then struck against the sandy bottom of the pool, propelling him towards the surface, breaking through with such force that half of his body leapt out of the water. Taking a large gasp of breath he swam as fast as he could to the submerged stone step closest to him and pulled himself out of the water. Allowing himself a moment to breathe, while the girls still remained fixated on the moon, before making his way to the land entrance with what little energy he had left. Using the rope that Dr Denman left dangling down the rock slide Lewis pulled himself up the chute, his entire body screaming with pain and shivering from either adrenaline, the cold or from fear, he honestly couldn't tell anymore. He then sat on the rock just outside of the entrance to properly catch his breath, believing he was safe from the girls and reasoning that if the girls wanted to stay on Mako he could come and get them in the morning._

 _Just as his breathing returned to normal, the cyclone began again with renewed intensity. Lightning danced across the sky and lashed out at the Earth with a vengeance that Lewis had never seen. The wind seemed to bite every exposed piece of skin, tearing whole branches off of trees and using them as canon fodder for the unwary. Rain fell sideways, striking him in the eyes and leaving freezing cold streaks of water across his face. Blindly, Lewis fumbled his way down the rocks of the water fall, panicking with every step, both for his own life and for the girls' as he tried to find his way back to the boat. He managed to feel himself to halfway through the jungle when a branch struck the back of his head, causing him to fall to his knees before stumbling the rest of the way to the beach before passing out_ _in the hard damp sand. His boat drifting off into the mountainous waves as his vision faded._

* * *

 _Yeah, I'd constitute that as a pretty bad night._ He thought to himself, gently placing his fingers on the back of his head, burying them into his soggy blond locks, searching for a gash left by the branch. _A lump but no blood. Should be okay, if not a minor concussion._ He tried to stand again, resigning himself to checking the Moon Pool for the girls, only to be met with an ungodly amount of dizziness, plonking him straight back down again. The thud reminded him of just how beaten up he was, making him groan under the various aches and pains.

 _Let's stay here for now Lewis. Don't need to do any more damage._ He grumbled to himself. He though he probably deserved it anyway, he got himself into that mess and put the girls in danger, it was only fair he was the one that got hurt. Any sane person, however, would disagree, no one should be tossed into a cyclone for one mistake in timing, but Lewis was not in a good state of mind to realise that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Cleo was wrenched from her slumber by the incessant screeching of her alarm clock. Groggily, she reached out to her bedside table, knocking various nicknacks to the floor as she scrambled for the off button. She relaxed as silence once again washed over the room, allowing her to collect her thoughts and shake the cobwebs of sleep from the edges of her mind. Rising from her bed, Cleo noted the absence of the usually soft fabric of her pyjamas, instead feeling the more coarse material of the clothes she had worn the night before. Instead of bare feet meeting carpet, a set of pink converse hit the floor. She frowned, glancing around at the familiar room expecting it to hold the secrets of the missing night before.

 _I must have been too tired to change_ …

Making her way to the kitchen, Cleo wracked her brain trying to piece together how she got home. Her brows furrowed as she grasped at the loose threads of her memory, stretching her arms above her head as she walked. She was roused from her struggle as she entered her living room. Her father greeting her as she passed the kitchen doorway.

"Ah, the finest fish in the ocean." Don exclaimed with a great amount of affection.

"A what?" Was the only response that Cleo could muster. A small amount of panic rising in her chest.

"You. The shiniest pearl. The perfect jewel." Cleo relaxed at this, kicking herself for thinking her father meant anything else. "Did you sleep well?" Cleo grabbed a glass from the breakfast bar, frowning slightly as she did so.

"Uhh" She hesitated, not knowing how to explain that she had lost a solid twelve hours of her memory. "Alright." Not wanting her father to ask anymore questions. Don, getting ready to leave for work, was happy to oblige.

"Cleo," Starts another, younger voice from the sofas. "I want some toast." Cleo simply shakes her head at her younger sibling, irritated at the thought that Kim expected her to dote on her every whim.

"Make it yourself" She said, grabbing the orange juice that was on the counter and pouring a glass for herself.

"You're supposed to be taking care of me! Dad said." She snarks, making Cleo grit her teeth in irritation.

"I'm not your slave, Kim. Make your own toast."

"Dad, tell her!" The younger girl turns to her father, who was in pursuit of one of his shoes, whining slightly.

"Sorry girls, I have to run, you work it out." He responds half heartedly, pulling on his shoe and making for the door before _another_ argument between his daughters flares up. Kim climbs out of the arm chair she was sat in, striding happily up to the counter where her sister was sat.

"I'll have one jam and one honey." she commands with a sickening sweetness.

Snapping slightly, Cleo responds with "I said get it yourself." Glaring at the younger blond. Kim resignedly gives in and, without missing a beat, grabs the glass of orange juice from Cleo's hand, smiling cheerfully.

"Fine, I'll have this then." Tilting her nose up slightly and beginning to walk towards the stairs. A grin plastered on her face that clearly showed she was pleased with herself. Cleo briefly glared at the spot where her glass had been, trying to control the anger that was rising to the surface. Tilting her head as she thought to herself.

 _If that's the way you want to be. Then fine._

She whirled around, arm outstretched toward the oblivious blond, her hand curled like she was gripping something unseen. She willed the orange juice to simply spring from the glass and into the face of her sister. However, all she could muster was a small tremor, enough to make Kim pause and look at the glass, but certainly not the payback that she intended. Cleo doubled her efforts, putting more force into manipulating the fluids, making the tremors of the glass to double, wrenching it from Kim's hand. The glass shattered on the tiled floor as the front door swung violently open, smacking against the wall of the entryway. A great gust of cold air swept into the house, hitting Kim square on, clawing at her limbs and tugging her hair in every direction. Cleo's eyes widened as the gale reached her, gently caressing her as it grazed over her skin. She yanked her hand back to her, staring wide eyed and horrified at her curled fingers. Kim was looking around the room confused, out the front door looking for any kind of answers before visibly shaking herself and closing the front door. She left Cleo with her own thoughts as well as the mess left from the orange juice.

 _Something definitely happened last night then. I need to see the others._ She thought, sending a quick text to Rikki, Emma and Lewis to meet her at _Juicenet_ ASAP.

* * *

As it turned out, the sudden wind was not the only bizarre weather related incident that morning. In hushed tones, all three girls had described the power mishaps that had occurred in the hour that they had been awake. Emma, after having discovered that most of her freezer had been defrosted, attempted to salvage its contents with her powers. She managed to do so successfully while also freezing half of her kitchen. Rikki, on the other hand, had tried to dry some clothes with her powers, as she usually does, but ended up calling a bolt of lightning and setting fire to a significant chunk of her laundry.

"My clothes are toast" Rikki whispered in a rushed, harsh tone, leaning further into the counter.

"And I iced up a whole room." Added Emma in the same anxious voice. Cleo glanced around briefly, noting the quieter atmosphere of the _Juicenet_ in its earlier hours. Most customers were either hurriedly gathering their morning smoothies or engaged in the news report that was playing on the old TV that has been mounted on the wall since the café first opened.

"It's like our powers have changed." Cleo offered.

"And they're out of control." Rikki agreed, glancing between Cleo and Emma. Neither, of course, had any answers. A beat of tense silence passed between the girls, allowing the faint bustle of the café to dominate their senses.

"Did anything go on last night?" Emma asked, attempting to break down the night into what they could remember. Cleo shrugged, shaking her head slightly and rubbing the back of her neck.

"There was a full moon," Cleo offered, "but I don't remember anything else." Unrest once again swept over the young mermaids, uncomfortable with the lost time and the fact that Lewis' ever logical presence was missing. Cleo, especially, did not want to think about what had happened to him. However, it was, naturally, all that she could think about. Her phone vibrated, letting out a high pitched beep as it did so.

 _I'm sure he's fine._ She thought, pulling the the heavy plastic device from her pocket. _He's probably still sleeping because he was up all night playing with his astronomy programs._

"What did we do?" Rikki asked the open air, not for the first time that morning. The question had been at the forefront of all of the girls' minds from the minute they woke up, only to be met by the same silent reply. Instead of their memories from the night before, the girls were met with nothing but the white noise that comes with being moonstruck.

"Was Lewis with us?" Emma asked, still trying to dissect the night to gain some new information. Cleo had finally retrieved her phone, slowly making her way through the menu screens to check her voicemails.

"There's a message." She sates with no small amount of trepidation, moving the phone to the centre of the table and hitting the speaker option as Lewis' panicked voice comes through.

 _"_ _Look, Cleo, I know you won't get this message until you transform back to normal, but I'm sorry and I'm coming. I'm nearly at Mako."_ The girls all looked between one another, Rikki glancing over her shoulder at the word transform. Their shared anxiety not dimming for a second, their minds raced at the small amount of new information they gathered.

"Transform back?" Rikki repeated to herself, staring off into the distance slightly.

"Why was he going to Mako Island at night?" Emma asked incredulously, knowing how dangerous that journey could be on a regular night, let alone a full moon.

"Maybe he was looking for us." Cleo supplied, scrambling for answers, any answers, about where her partner was.

 _'_ _-are already calling the Mako Island Cyclone.'_ That got the girls' attention. Whipping around to face the TV, Cleo watched a graphic of the weather conditions the night before as the news caster continued to explain the mysterious event.

' _Sudden and severe electrical storm struck the Mako Island are last night, with wind speeds reaching over 200 kilometres and hour. Meteorologists are puzzled by the sudden weather event, and have no idea what caused it.'_ The girls looked at each other, realising that it had to have been them that caused it. One mystery solved. _'Police have recovered a small aluminium boat adrift in the water nearby. Investigations are continuing.'_

 _No, no, no._ Cleo thought, the anxiety that had made its home in the centre of her chest erupting into full blown panic. He jaw dropped alongside her stomach as dread rose up her throat like bile. She was the first to stand up, pushing on the counter top to steady herself, and run straight toward the marina. Her blonde counterparts following quickly behind her.

* * *

Lewis had been in the same position for far too long, his legs ached and he could feel a single stick poking him in his ribs. Yet every time he sat up, another wave of nausea washed over him, making him curl further into himself. He was still shivering, though he was slowly becoming used to the chill that wrapped his damp body. The stick in his side was his main gripe. He cursed under his breath as he pushed his way into a sitting position, bringing his knees up in front of him to rest his elbows on. He waited for the nausea to come as he hung his head between his knees, waiting for it to pass. In the end it never came. _Good, now I just have to worry about the cold._

While the cold was very much at the forefront of Lewis' mind, a feeling of unrest had also taken root, making him feel as if he had forgotten something important. Running over the events of the night again, he was certain he retained all of his memories, there were no gaps. So why did he still feel as if he had overlooked something? He was pulled from his whirring thoughts by another blast of frigid oceanic air, wracking his body with tremors. _Is now really the time? You should be more worried about the girls._ Lewis roughly rubbed his arms, trying to alleviate some of the chill that still clung to him, only to cause sand to scratch up against his skin and make him more uncomfortable.

The sound of a small engine woke him from his musings, as he looked up to see a small tin boat, not dissimilar to his own, arrive a ways down the beach. Lewis could barely make out the silhouette of a person climb out and jump down onto the sand, running into the tree line. Lewis shouted to them, only to be wracked by a coughing fit. _I guess staying out in the cold all night is not good for your health then._ He thought sarcastically.

* * *

Cleo returned to the Western beach of Mako Island, having found nothing but a crumpled torch that once belonged to Lewis. She approached the blonde girls to hear them discussing what they found.

"I've searched the other beaches and the lagoons." Emma stated, dejectedly. "No sign of him. What about you?"

"Not a trace." Rikki replied, putting her arms out to the side of her, shrugging as she did so. "I didn't see a thing." The jungle had been completely torn to shreds, if there was a trail to follow, it had long been covered by debris.

"I did." Cleo shouted, her voice dripping with worry as she held up the battered remains of the flashlight. "Lewis' torch." She finished simply, tossing the destroyed tool to Emma. "I found it by the rocks."

"Are you sure it's his?" Emma asked, knowing that if it was found there it was not a good sign for their friend.

"I gave it to him last Christmas!" Cleo replied quickly, clearly distressed. "You don't think-"

"No." Rikki cut in, not wanting the group to consider those implications until it was a last resort. "We'll keep looking until-"

A short sharp noise cut her off, making all three mermaids snap their eyes to the tree line.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Lewis could hear voices coming from slightly down the beach, women, as far as he could tell. They sounded worried, panicked, even, though he could not discern any words. Lewis figured that they must be scientists that had come to study the storm from the night before. There was no way that went unnoticed. He was going to call out to them, hoping that he could get a ride back to the mainland in their boat. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, a wave of crackling energy hit him.

The air once more filled with ozone, simmering with electricity. The already icy air began to cut a bit deeper into his bones. The wind went from caressing his frozen skin to slicing into his flesh. The atmosphere thrummed with the same energy that had terrorised him the night before, making his friends into weapons. The power stopped him dead in his tracks, as every cell in his body was screaming that there was nothing but danger beyond the trees. The memories from the storm intensified in his mind, gripping him tightly with fear and paralysing him with anxiety. He moved back slightly, attempting to retreat further into the safety of the island, causing the stick that had been poking him in his ribs to snap.

Lewis froze. The voices stopped. The thrum of the energy that surrounded him halted for a second, before focusing on him with renewed intensity. Lewis breathed heavily, each inhale shaking with a mixture of cold and fear, as footsteps began to make their way to where he was sat. Lewis lifted his head above the bundle of leaves in front of his face, letting fear wash through him. Relying on nothing but instinct, Lewis spoke in a panicked tone.

"Please, don't hurt me." He said in a shaky voice. With that sentence the pressure of the energy broke, as if it were never there in the first place, as relief washed over his three rescuers.

* * *

"I can't believe we did all those things to you." Said Cleo, turning her back to the now unclothed boy, falling into step with Emma. Rikki had started a small fire on the beach, using branches to suspend Lewis' sodden clothes above the warm flames. The aforementioned blonde frowns, drawing her brows together as she adds another piece of debris to the fire.

"It's like you were possessed." Lewis called from the tree line, shivering more intensely from the frigid air on his bare skin. He rubbed his arms harder, trying to generate some heat but failing.

"I mean, the full moon does horrible things to us." Cleo tried to rationalise. "And we couldn't do things like that before. Like create wind or storms." She continued, reeling from the events that had apparently taken place the night before.

"Or lightning." Rikki chimed in, prodding the fire aimlessly and occasionally checking on Lewis' clothes.

"You used to be in control." Lewis offered, hoping that by reminding them of that fact they would be able to control it again. Cleo and Emma briefly glanced over, quickly averting their eyes from Lewis' mostly exposed form. They remained unconvinced. While the panic and anxiety of the morning had mostly faded, the dread of the implications sat firmly in the pits of their stomachs. Emma sighed, turning to Rikki who was looking more troubled than normal. Rikki huffed, dropping the stick she was using to stoke the fire and standing suddenly.

"Your shorts are going to take ages," She said, rubbing the sand from her hands. "I'll just dry them." Rikki held out her hand, palm facing down towards the shorts, fingers spread wide. At this point she barely needed to concentrate as she slowly curled her fingers inward, drawing them more and more into a fist shape. As she did so Lewis could feel the static enter the air again, leaving a taste of crackling ozone on the roof of his mouth. It was then he realised what he had sensed earlier; the girls' powers bubbling close to the surface with their emotions. _The full moon must have amplified their powers._ He concluded.

Lewis was quickly snapped from this thought as, before Rikki could completely make a fist, the shorts burst into flames. The girls jumped back, startled by the sudden heat. Lewis made a short, sharp noise that conveyed half surprise and half annoyance as his clothes began to burn. Rikki quickly grabbed a piece of driftwood, knocking over the branch the shorts were perched on, kicking sand over the flames to smother them. She grabbed the branch, carrying them over to the unclothed boy, before offering them to him.

"Um, slightly charred," She said, grimacing guiltily. "but still wearable." Lewis grabbed the still damp, now singed cloth and sighed.

"Thank you," He said with no small amount of sarcasm. "Really, thank you." While he did appreciate the attempt, it was difficult to get past the morning he had. Just incident after incident of the worst luck he had ever experienced. Cleo's anxiety finally got the better of her.

"Lewis, you know we would never hurt you intentionally." She said, intending to continue with an apology, only to be cut off.

"Yeah, I know." Lewis said, sympathetically smiling at his girlfriend, trying to convey that there was nothing to forgive. "But something's changed." While he would never admit it, he was excited at the prospect. This could be a chance for them to find out more about their powers, how they worked and about magic in general. Lewis, by his very nature, could not control his desire to understand, to learn everything he could. He knew it was perhaps a bit inappropriate, it didn't stop excitement from bubbling to the surface, brief as it was.

"Yeah, but why?" Emma asked, exasperated. None of them knew, or could even guess, why it had happened. For all they knew, it could simply be the natural progression of mermaid abilities, an effect of the full moon and planetary alignments or even a change in seasons. None of them knew, but Lewis was determined to find out.

"Come on," Rikki said, breaking the pensive silence that had fallen over the group. "Get dressed. You need a shower and, while the waterfalls are lovely here, I should think you'd want to shower at home." She turned on her heel and began to smother the fire, gesturing for the other girls to help her pack up before they left. Cleo shot Lewis one last sad smile before she went to join them. Lewis returning it, trying to reassure her before beginning to pull on his still damp, charred shorts.

* * *

The group quickly returned to the mainland, entering the Sertori household. Lewis resigned to retrieve his boat from the police in the morning, all he wanted to do was remove the layer of sand and grime that had accumulated overnight.

"It's just too dangerous," Cleo said up ahead.

"Yeah, we can't use our powers until we know what's going on." Emma concurred, striding into the main living area.

"Especially not in public." Rikki muttered seemingly to herself.

"Or near me." Lewis said, grabbing at his blackened shorts in annoyance before dropping heavily into one of the arm chairs.

"Or near our families." Cleo said decidedly. She paused, furrowing her brows. She strode towards the dining area with an unreadable look on her face. "Oh no" she muttered before calling for her sister.

"Maybe she went out?" Rikki supplied from around the corner. Cleo grabbed a ticket off of the table, holding it up and screwing her face up at her own stupidity. Earlier that day she was supposed to have taken Kim to a concert, her father expressly stating that the younger girl was to be looked after at all costs and not to go alone. Cleo, in the morning's drama, had let it slip her mind and now Kim was nowhere to be found.

"I was supposed to take her to the concert" She said in a hurried tone, already hurrying for the door.

"She wouldn't have gone on her own would she?" Rikki asked, moving to rise from the arm of the sofa where she was perched. Cleo was almost to the door when she said.

"Quick we've got to find her before dad-" With that Don strolls into the room, bag in hand, all smiles. Cleo immediately felt guilt form like a stone in her throat.

"Hello, darling. How was it then?" He greeted, before quickly acknowledging the three other teenagers in the room.

"The concert?" she asked meekly.

"Yeah, was it fun? Did Kim have a good time?" he responded with his own questions. He put his bag on the dining table, glancing around the open room. "Where is she?" Cleo paused, not wanting to face her fathers wrath.

"Well, dad." she stuttered "I-"

The front door to the house once again swung open, interrupting the shame filled girl, revealing the sibling in question, beaming wide.

"Oi, dad." she greeted.

"Theres my little muffin." Don acknowledged. "How was the concert?"

"It was the best, daddy. They played all their hits. And the crowd just screamed and screamed."

"It sounds like you had a great time. See? It wasn't so bad going with your big sister after all, was it?"

A beat of silence passed, Kim's smile dropped slightly and Cleo hung her head, waiting for her sister to drop the bomb that would ground her for the next millennia.

"Right" Kim said tensely, Cleo letting out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding.

"Well, I'm glad you two finally worked things out. Nice top, Kim" With that Don left for his study, carrying a stack of papers that none of them recognised. Kim glanced down at the aforementioned shirt, that Cleo recognised from her own wardrobe, before smiling wickedly.

"So," Kim began in a smug voice, picking up a bottle of water from the counter. "The way I see it, I keep the top and we never mention this ugly incident again."

All sense of guilt or sympathy that Cleo had for her younger sister drained away at her request. The arrogance that Cleo perceived angered her; she would not be blackmailed by her brat of a sister.

"Wha-? Kim!" Cleo stuttered.

"Let's not debate this, Cleo." The younger girl stated coldly with a confidence that made Cleo's blood boil. "Let's be _adult_ about it."

Kim turned her back, walking toward the dining table where she put her bag. Cleo ground her teeth, seething slightly. Cleo balled her fists, suppressing the broil of rage that made its way to the surface. Lewis watched her intently as a nebulous thrum of pulsating energy began to wash through the room. He noticed the other girls tense out of the corner of his eye, preparing in the same way that he was. _Can they feel it too?_ He wondered, noting that Cleo's power felt different to Rikki's, less tangible and more dynamic. He would have to explore this further another time. Cleo's resolve broke, her hand extending out in front of her, gritting her teeth. Lewis shot out of the armchair, grabbing hold of her wrist, Emma quickly snatching it from the other side, Rikki placing a firm hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Lewis whispered, releasing her arm as quickly as he grabbed it. Cleo slumped, agreeing but not liking it. She loved getting little bits of payback on Kim whenever she could. This could only make their arguments worse, in her opinion. But it is either that or putting her younger sister in danger. Rikki shook her head and Emma sighed, returning to their respective seats. Lewis moved to sit down with them, only to feel a snap of pain where he had hit his head the night before, reminding him that he had not showered yet.

"If it's all the same to you guys, I'm going to head home." He said, making for the door. "I smell like a wet dog, covered head to toe in dirt and have a colossal headache that I'd really rather sleep off." Sarcasm dripped from his voice as he spoke, smiling tensely.

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Cleo responded, guilt washing over her again. She stood to walk him out as Rikki and Emma waved goodbye, starting a fresh conversation that was suitable for the still lurking Kim. "You know that we are really sorry about last night, we would never hurt you intentionally."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. You were moonstruck, you couldn't control yourselves, I get it. Honestly, I shouldn't have followed you out to Mako, especially knowing how dangerous you guys can be when you're like that." Lewis said reassuringly, smiling as he did so. "And besides, its my fault, I got the wrong time for moonrise, I should've been sure." He furrowed his brows, cursing himself once again for not double checking.

"Lewis, this is not your fault. It's not down to you to know when the moon rises, we all should know. You're not affected by the moon, we are. It's our responsibility."

"I know but still…" Lewis said guiltily and unconvinced. "Anyway, I'm going to go home, have a nice warm shower and a good night's sleep. I'll swing by tomorrow and try to figure out what's going on. Okay?" Cleo nodded, quickly saying her goodbyes as Lewis walked down the path toward home.

* * *

Lewis quickly made his way home, tossing his bag down at the bottom of the stairs before immediately climbing them. His mother was asleep after a long night shift at the hospital, so he tried to be a quiet as his exhausted body would allow. Lewis stumbled into his room, puling off his still slightly damp shirt and singed shorts. He balled up the shirt before tossing it lazily into the wicker hamper, his shorts soaring straight into the bin next to his desk. Until he sat down on the bed, Lewis had not realised how tired he actually was. His shoulders suddenly felt heavy and supporting his head with his neck was becoming an effort. It took all that he had to resist the temptation to climb under the covers, forcing himself to stand and make his way out of the room. Lewis desperately needed that shower as when he ran his hand through his still wet hair, the sand gave it an almost crusted quality. Grimacing, he dragged his way down the hall as quietly as he could, stopping at the bathroom door. Lewis drew a sharp breath as the cold of the bathroom tiles meeting his bare feet caught him off guard. Locking the door behind him, he regarded the bathroom. Every inch of Lewis' body ached from the battering of the storm, sleeping on an unforgiving beach and the pure exhaustion brought about by the day, making him want to crawl into bed and never come out again. If he was honest with himself, Lewis was not sure that he could deal with standing in the shower for too long; a bath would help relieve the knots buried in his muscles and ease his bruised flesh.

Lewis spun on the hot water tap, adding a small amount of bubble bath for good measure before turning his attention to the bathroom mirror. He looked horrible, blond hairs darkened by the damp and dulled by the sand clumped together, taking on an ashy brown hue. Scratches adorned his cheeks, while not breaking skin, they left angry red gashed in every direction. Deep, dark circles hung from his lower eyelids, weighing down his features into a permanently morose expression. Sand even still clung to parts of his jaw. He looked about as good as he felt. Sighing, he reached up to scratch off a patch of sand and turned back towards the half filled tub.

The boiler in the McArtney household, while functional, was not particularly efficient. So, Lewis didn't even bother testing the water before pulling off his boxers and climbing in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lewis sank in to the warm water of the bath tub, allowing the heat to unravel the knotted tension in his muscles. He sighed, resting his head on the edge of the bathtub and closing his eyes. As soon as he felt himself fully relax into the tub a shudder spread through his entire body, causing him to shake violently for a second. The chill washed over him in an instant, leaving a warm tingling sensation in its wake that made him inhale sharply. As quickly as the sensation came, it receded, leaving only the warm embrace of the soapy water. The sensation left Lewis confused; it was common for him to shudder at the temperature change when immediately getting in the bath. But this was definitely not that, it was longer, more complex and definitely more intense. Lewis frowned, drawing his eyebrows together as he tried to justify what he was feeling by framing it with his logic.

 _It was probably just spasms from my muscles finally relaxing, mixed with the usual shudder of a temperature change._ That had to be it, he rationalised. Yet something continued to tug at the back of his mind, something that he was forgetting. He sighed, resigning himself to just trying to relax. He slowly slid down the bath until his head was below the surface, making sure his hair was wet before he washed it. Another, surprisingly intense shudder wracked his body as he lowered himself further. As his face slipped beneath the water, his senses were assaulted with memories of the night before. Lewis being carried towards a tempestuous sky by a magical gust of wind. Lightning crackling above his head. The moon centring itself in the eye of the cyclone. Crashing into a cramped, bubbling pool.

At the thought, Lewis' eyes shot open, stinging from the soapy water. He lurched forward into a sitting position, rubbing his now sore eyes at the revelation. He had been in the moon pool at the height of the full moon. He was only in there for a second, not long enough for anything to occur, surely. Lewis felt another shudder wash over his body, this time causing a stone of dread to form in his stomach. So many thoughts whirled through Lewis' mind, what was going to happen to him and the implications for his future. He felt his breath quicken and heart rate skyrocket with panic. At his foundation, Lewis was a scientist, he enjoyed magic because he was able to study it, discover how it worked and, hopefully, learn how he could help his friends. Lewis found magic fascinating, but he never wanted it to be a part of him.

Lewis managed to open his eyes fully against the sting, darting straight to the lower half of his body. As his vision began to focus, a wave of relief washed over him as his gaze landed on two scrawny, still very human, legs. Lewis let his body fall back in relief, hitting the tub harder than he would have liked. He let out a small laugh, rubbing his brows as he did so. All he could think was thank goodness and laughing at himself for thinking he would be anything but mundane. Slowly the smile slipped away as he relaxed back into the bath, his mind began to think about what he would have done if he had been affected. He would have had to have told the others, obviously. That made him frown, they have enough to deal with with their new powers showing up. Maybe he would hold off on telling them then, at least until they had more control. What would they say? What would he say? He could not just walk up to them and just come out with it. He would have to tell Cleo first, that much was clear.

 _Oh god Cleo, she'd feel so guilty._ That thought made Lewis' frown deepen, he hated seeing her upset, even in his own bizarre daydreams. His mind continued generating similar scenarios until it finally settled on one particular daydream that made a faint smile creep onto the corners of Lewis' face. He started thinking about what would happen after he told them, specifically about him and Cleo. He kept seeing an image in his mind of a beautiful reef, saturated with every colour imaginable, fish darting between vibrant anemones, a green sea turtle sliding leisurely by. A gentle current urging him forward, towards a smiling Cleo in her mermaid form, her arm outstretched towards him. He had never seen this reef before, he was not even sure it existed, but it was beautiful and seemingly untouched by man. As he reached forward to clasp Cleo's outstretched hand, another shudder wracked his body, dragging him back to the present.

Lewis frowned again, he, oddly, felt disappointed that his daydream could not be a reality and quickly began washing his hair. The feeling that he was missing something returned again, weighing heavily on his thoughts. It was nothing obvious, but he felt as if his skin sat funny on his bones, that something was ever so slightly off. He tried to shake the thought from his mind as he rinsed his hair, removing the final grains of sand before sighing and stepping out of the bath. He quickly pulled the plug while swiftly dragging a towel across his head in quick, sharp movements. He pulled his boxers back on and continued to dry himself on the way back to his room. Lewis sat down at his desk, draping the now damp towel over his shoulders, pulling out one of his many blank notebooks and grabbing a pen. He began scribbling down theories as to what had happened to the girls, why the moon pool had not affected him in the same way that it had the girls and ways that he could help with the girls new powers. Very quickly, however, he was overcome with fatigue and felt his head began to nod with exhaustion. At this Lewis dragged himself over to his bed and flopped onto it unceremoniously; falling into a deep, well earned sleep before his head even hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning Lewis awoke to the sound of a car door slamming shut and keys being turned in the front door. His mother must be home, he concluded. He had slept much longer than he had intended. Stretching, he pulled himself out of bed and changed his boxers, before digging though his dresser to find a clean shirt. Lewis pulled on his fresh set of clothes and headed to the bathroom to clean his teeth. Lewis shut the door as he entered, not bothering to lock it. He quickly caught his reflection in the mirror, he looked significantly better than the night before. Scratches still adorned his face but he seemed more alive as his face was far less sallow and sunken. His hair was back to its usual shining blond, even if it was a complete mess from what was, apparently, a fitful sleep.

He yawned, scratching crusted sleep from the corners of his eyes he quickly span on the tap and began brushing his teeth. After spitting the minty mixture of toothpaste and saliva into the drain, he noticed some clung to the corners of his mouth. He quickly gathered a small handful of water and splashed it on his face to clear it before wiping it away with his wrist. The strange feeling began again, but rather than passing as it did the night before, it grew in intensity, causing Lewis to draw his brows together in confusion. Before he fully had time to deduce what the feeling was, the pressure of the sensation broke. Lewis shuddered, as he had done the night before, leaving intense tingling to creep up his body rapidly. Starting at his feet, pins and needles rose up his spine and continued all the way up to the top of his head.

Lewis suddenly lost his balance, falling forward before landing hard on the tiled bathroom floor, aggravating his already bruised limbs. He groaned, propping himself up on his elbows as he tried to get up. He tried moving his legs beneath him, only to be met with noncompliance and an oddly familiar slapping sound. Lewis rolled to the side and looked down at the lower half of his body. Instead of legs, Lewis was greeted with the sight of a massive tail, with scales that shone a deep sapphire blue. A small ridge of scales ran along the middle of its back, fading as it reached the base of the fin. He had seen this before but never on himself. He blinked once. Twice. This could not be real, he had a bath last night and nothing happened then. He tried moving again and the tail moved with it, flopping clumsily on the tiles.

 _No, no, no, no, no._ Lewis rolled onto his back before moving into a sitting position, resting his back against the door. He placed a hand over his mouth, trying to contain his rising panic. He closed his eyes, thoughts whipping into a whirl wind, terror tying his guts into tightly wound knots. Everything that he feared last night came cascading back to the forefront of his mind. How would he tell the others, how is he going to help them when he is also going to be struggling with magic, how was he going to hide this from everyone else? His breaths escaped him fast and shaky, he was beginning to hyperventilate. A knock on the bathroom door startled him out of his paralysed state.

"Lewis, hun, are you okay? I thought I heard a crash?" Karen McArtney called through the wooden door, worry lacing her voice. Without fully thinking, Lewis responded in a shaky voice.

"Yeah mum, I'm fine. I just tripped over the bath mat, don't worry." He had no idea where that came from, he just knew that he could not let his mother see him, not like this.

"You don't sound like you're okay. You sound like you've been crying." That was not too far from the truth, he did feel like crying, he was overwhelmed at the implications. He needed time to process.

"I'm fine mum, really. I didn't even fall that hard."

"Alright, but if you think you've done something let me take a look at it, okay?" She responded, not fully convinced, before walking down to the far end of the hall and into her room. Lewis sighed, slumping back against the door.

He needed to go somewhere and properly think about what had happened. That was not going to happen while he did not have any legs. He needed to get dry. He mentally shook himself, dragging his focus back to reality, holding back the tsunami of panic with a thin dam of purpose. Lewis reached up for the towel rack, pulling the piece of cloth down towards him before rubbing it across every piece of skin he could. Oddly, he found himself avoiding his lower half as much as possible, afraid that if he touched it that it would make it more real. Eventually, however, it was the only thing remaining that needed to be dried. Reluctantly, he pulled the absorbent material across the scales as quickly as he could, avoiding touching it as much as possible. The tingling sensation returned, sending another shudder through his body, signalling the return of his legs. Lewis shot to his feet, not giving himself enough time to begin thinking about it again. He quickly fixed his hair as he made his way down stairs, pulled on a pair of sandals, grabbed his bag and made his way down toward his favourite fishing spot.

* * *

Cleo started her morning as she usually would, making breakfast and arguing with Kim. And, as usual, this put Cleo in a foul mood. Thanking her lucky stars that it was a Saturday, she made her way out of the house and headed toward the _Juicenet café._ Usually, Lewis would be there by ten at the latest, sat in a booth, scribbling something in his notebooks with a berry blast smoothie resting in front of him. But today was apparently not usual, as when Cleo got there Lewis was nowhere to be seen. She frowned and sat in their regular seat, pulling out her phone and sending a text to the missing boy. Emma came striding over, full of purpose as she normally does, ready to take orders. Cleo smiled in greeting, ordering a banana blitz.

"Hey, Em, have you seen Lewis today? He's usually here by now." Cleo asked casually.

"No, not today. I just assumed that he was resting, or getting his boat from the police." She responded, frowning. "Have you not heard from him then?"

"No, not even a text. He always texts me in the morning." Cleo replied, drawing her eyebrows together. "But I'm sure you're right. He's probably resting or something." She finished, almost muttering to herself. Emma smiled sympathetically, nodded and walked back towards the counter. Cleo still was worried though, This was odd for Lewis. He would have at least sent her a text to say that he was resting instead. Cleo sighed, pushing off from the table as she stood, walking up to the counter.

"Actually, Em, could I get it to go instead? I think I might go check to see if he's okay."

"Of course, give me one sec." Once Cleo paid for her juice, she left with a quick wave to Emma before heading directly to the McArtney household.

* * *

Lewis' house turned out to be a bust, if anyone was there they were either asleep or actively ignoring her. She knew that Lewis' mum was there but sleeping after a long shift. Lewis himself, however, was nowhere to be found. She sighed, deciding to go for a swim to clear her head. She was being irrational, so she thought. Yet, the feeling remained. She walked down to a secluded spot along the canal, checked to make sure no one was watching and dived in, allowing the tingling of magic to roll in waves up her body, revealing her shimmering golden fin. She knew the maze of waterways by heart now, following the murky fresh water out toward the sea.

Just as she reached the mouth of the canal, where the water became salty, she thought to check Lewis' fishing spot. If he was going to be anywhere, it would be there. With a few beats of her powerful tail, Cleo rounded the corner and slowed to navigate the thick reeds that surround the small jetty where Lewis likes to fish. As she got closer, she could not see his usual distinctive lure, but could make out a figure hunched over the edge of the water. Slowly, she rose closer to the surface, being careful not to emerge until she was sure it was safe. As soon as she could make out the features of the blond boy before her, she breached the surface and greeted Lewis with a smile. Lewis seemed to snap out of whatever deep thoughts he must have been wrapped in when he heard a voice from below him, smiling slightly at the presence of his girlfriend. He tried to greet her warmly, but came across as more distracted.

"Oh, Hey Cleo. Out for a morning swim?" he asked, distantly. His face held a smile but it was forced and did not quite meet his eyes, which seemed to be far away, searching for something. Something was wrong and Cleo knew it. Was it her? Is Lewis scared of her now? _No, he's not like that. He's probably just tired._

"Yeah, but I'm not so sure it's morning anymore. I was looking for you for most of the day, actually. Where have you been?" She asked earnestly. Lewis closed his eyes, screwing up his face in guilt as he realised that he had missed their usual Saturday meet up; quickly checking his watch.

"Oh god, I'm sorry Cleo. I didn't realise what time it was." He said, regret clearly etched onto his face. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "This morning has been a rough one." In reality, the last two mornings had been rough for Lewis. Cleo, however, misunderstood, thinking that he was in physical pain rather than complete emotional meltdown.

"I'm sorry, Lewis. We didn't mean to hurt you." She apologised, the slight waves of the canal becoming much more interesting to her.

"No, I didn't mean that. I meant-" He paused, trying to find the words to describe what happened. He could not tell her, not when she looked at him with those big brown eyes filled with so much guilt. He sighed, trying to come up with a lie as quickly as he could. "I kept myself awake all night trying to come up with theories about your new powers and how to help you regain control. I felt bad that the only reason you lost control is because I got the time wrong and I feel the need to fix it. I'm sorry." Lewis was rambling, it was not a total lie, he did stay up coming up with theories. He felt bad lying to her, but he knew he'd feel worse if he told her the truth now.

"You don't need to fix anything. We don't know if it was just the moon that caused the power change, for all we know the moon could've just been a trigger and it would've happened anyway." Cleo said, moving closer to the jetty. "Right now, all I care about is that you're safe and not hurt. I just need you to be your usual sciencey, nerdy self." Cleo smiled and touched his wrist reassuringly, trying to convey that she could look after herself and that she was here for him. Lewis smiled back appreciating his girlfriend's kind words before his eyes shot open wide.

It had dawned on him. She was wet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lewis had been sat on the jetty for what must have been hours, trying to slot the puzzle pieces of his condition into some form of coherent logic. There were so many questions that remained unanswered, mixed with the overwhelming sense of shock and dread meant that he was not generating as many answers as he usually would have. Lewis had only come to the conclusion that the only reason that he had not changed in the bath was because he was still slightly wet from the moon pool and the typhoon. He had certainly felt the magic spread across his body, there was no mistaking that, but it was unable to complete the change. This morning, however, he was bone dry immediately before his transformation. Or perhaps it had simply been a matter of having more time for the magic to fully take hold. Whatever the case, Lewis could barely wrap his head around the idea that he was no longer human; he did not want to believe it was real. He did not fully grasp the concept, even while going over his theories, plans and feelings right up until the moment that Cleo touched his wrist. Then he became alarmingly aware of his condition.

Lewis panicked, eyes wide with mild horror. His mind gripped solely by the fact that he was going to be exposed, causing a great heavy stone to form in the pit of his stomach. He knew he had a choice to make and that he had to make it fast; keep the secret until the girls had better control, or let Cleo see him now and deal with the fallout. Lewis could feel the surge of magic beginning to grow, quickly building towards its peak. He needed to find a way to stop it. His eyes darted around the jetty briefly, searching for answers, prying eyes or some form of escape. He found none. Lewis' body moved without thinking, his thoughts wrapped in a veil of anxiety and panic. He pulled his hand away from Cleo, quickly wiping his wrist on his shirt, drying it in an agitated frenzy.

Lewis breathed a sigh of relief when the energy stopped dead in its tracks before fading back to nothing. As the panic receded, an overwhelming silence fell. The gentle lapping of water nudging the base of the jetty was all that could be heard. Cleo stared at Lewis in a state of shock, unsure of what had just occurred. Tears began to form in her eyes as she waited for something, anything to happen. She sniffed.

"What was that?" She asked, searching his face for answers. She moved closer to the jetty, silently pleading for Lewis to open up. The aforementioned boy scrambled for something to say to her, something that would not harm her. He opened and closed his mouth, trying to form words to explain, to construct a worthy lie. He could not look her in the eye and Cleo took that as a sign.

"You're still scared, aren't you?" She concluded, tears finally tumbling down her already wet face. Her eyes quickly found their place, locked onto the surface of the water in shame. Cleo's mouth screwed up as she bit her lip, trying to hold in the tsunami of emotion that threatened to burst forth. She swallowed hard.

"No, Cleo that's not-" Lewis said moving closer to her, trying to comfort the upset girl, convey that he was not afraid of her. He was cut off when she jerked back, drawing her face into a deep frown. Cleo raised a single hand out of the water, shaking her head as she did so, before turning her back. She whispered a quiet apology, ignoring Lewis' protests as she submerged herself in the murky waters, heading straight out to sea.

Lewis flopped back on the deck, groaning as he did so. _How could you be so stupid, Lewis? What was she supposed to think?_ He berated himself, nothing had gone right for him in the last few days. First, he got the girls moonstruck; then he got himself attacked and changed; then he'd decided to lie about it and now he has driven off the person he cares about most in this world. _Nice going, genius._ Lewis lifted his head and dropped it onto the unforgiving deck sharply in frustration. He truly felt as if he had hit rock bottom.

 _Stop moping, Lewis._ He thought. _You need to find a way to fix this._ Lewis sighed again, rubbing his brows in frustration, before heaving himself to his feet. Making his way over to his rucksack, he pulled out his phone, resigning himself to the ear full he was about to get off of one fiery blonde mermaid.

* * *

The sun filtered down though the cone of the volcano, the weak light of the fading afternoon barely reaching halfway down the inner wall of the cave. The same sunlight radiated through the underwater entrance to the cave, lighting the camber from below. The natural blue hue of the Moon Pool shone up to meet the orange light, the minute ripples in its tranquil waters casting bright, nebulous beams to dance across the stone, before being consumed by the light of the sun. The water itself was still, occasionally rippling as is sole occupant maintained their balance or breathed too hard. The air was stagnant, the chaos and magic from the full moon having lulled back into a near unnoticeable vibration. This quiet was soon broken as the light from beneath was dimmed due to appearance of another shimmering golden tail.

Rikki blinked as she breached the serene surface of the Moon Pool, briefly rubbing her eyes clear of salt water. Her gaze quickly landed on her fellow mermaid who had not even turned to acknowledge her presence. Rikki found Cleo with her chin resting on the ledge of the Moon Pool, her tail stretched out behind her, lazily floating on the surface. Her arms were folded beneath her, allowing her elbows to prop her up on the submerged stone step. As far as Rikki could tell, she had long stopped crying, opting instead to stare blankly at the stone wall of the cave. Rikki barely had to move her tail in order to silently glide into position next to her friend, nudging her as she did so.

"Hey," Rikki started tentatively, causing Cleo to blink and shake her head before turning towards the voice. "Lewis told me you were upset." Her tone was sympathetic, yet had questioning undertones to it. Despite Lewis being the one to call her, he refused to tell Rikki what had happened, only that Lewis had done something stupid to hurt Cleo's feelings. Cleo let out a breath of bitter laughter, rolling her eyes and grinding her teeth slightly. Cleo turned her head away slightly, hiding whatever expression bounded to the forefront.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rikki probed when she realised that she was not going to receive an answer.

"Not really. I'm over it." Cleo responded, trying to keep her voice level.

"We both know that's not true, mate."

"There's nothing to talk about; it was my fault. I made a mistake."

"Lewis doesn't seem to feel that way."

"What does Lewis know about feelings?" Cleo almost snapped, her head whipping round to face her friend. "He clearly can't tell one from another."

"Woah," Rikki put her hands up backing off slightly in surprise. "where did that come from?" Cleo, closed her eyes, fighting off another wave of tears before exhaling violently.

"I'm sorry," Cleo said after a beat of silence, relaxing back into her more languid state. "I- He- It's stupid; I'm stupid." She shook her head, mumbling the final parts of her sentence before returning to her position staring at the wall defeatedly.

"Hey, its okay." Rikki said, touching Cleo's arm comfortingly. "Tell me what happened and we'll go from there."

Cleo looked Rikki in the eye, tears once again threatening to spill over. She let out a shaky sigh before beginning to tell Rikki what had happened an hour earlier.

"Lewis didn't turn up to our usual meet up this morning. I figured he was resting so decided to go for a swim instead. On the way out of the canals, I decided to check his fishing spot to see if he was there, on a whim." Clea began to speed up, trying to piece together the events and express herself. "He was but he wasn't himself, it was like he had seen a ghost. He looked so tired and beat up, I felt so bad. I apologised and he told me it was fine." She paused, Rikki drawing her eyebrows together more an more as she spoke. "but I touched his wrist and it was like I burned him… God Rikki, he looked so scared."

Cleo's tears were falling freely now, gathering droplets of sea water as the tumbled in streaks down her cheeks. Rikki frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. Lewis would not act like that and she knew it. Pushing the thought aside, she wrapped her arm around Cleo's shoulders, rubbing them gently. She let Cleo relax into the embrace, sobbing into the blonde's shoulder. After Cleo had calmed down, Rikki released her.

"What happened then?" she asked gently.

"He pulled his hand back and wiped it off frantically and tried to come up with an excuse. He said he wasn't afraid but I know he was. I felt so guilty, it was like I was a monster. I couldn't bear to see that fear in his eyes, so I left." She let out one final sob, wiping her eyes.

Rikki did not respond right away, she simply thought for a moment. _Something is off, Lewis isn't like that, surely?_ She could not place it, but something about the story set of alarm bells. Lewis adored Cleo, it seemed like there was nothing that she could do that would ever put him off her. Rikki quickly broke from her musings, however, as Cleo looked to her with sorrowful brown eyes for comfort.

"Cleo, I don't think it's you he's frightened of. He adores you. He basically worships the ground that you walk on!" Rikki gave an encouraging smile, causing Cleo to look down to conceal the light smile that crept onto her face. "There is nothing that you could do that would ever put him off." Cleo's smile faded as quickly as it came, turning once again into a sombre frown.

"You didn't see his face, Rikki. He was like a deer in the headlights. He hadn't gotten any sleep the night before; he said it was for research but…" she paused, glancing around the cave. "I'm not sure I believe him, what if he was too scared to sleep? Or he did and he had nightmares about us drowning him? What if he thinks we're monsters after all?" Rikki scowled.

"Cleo, listen to me, Lewis would never think that. If he did he wouldn't have spoken to you at all." Rikki stated, gripping Cleo's shoulders with conviction. "He probably had one of the most terrifying experiences of his life last night, that is true. But he knows that it wasn't us, you saw how guilty he was. Knowing him, he's probably more scared of what this means for us, the weirdo."

Both girls laughed slightly, the affirmation finally sinking into Cleo's consciousness. The brunette nodded, feeling more confident in herself, if not slightly guilty for doubting Lewis. Rikki, on the other hand, was mentally spinning in place, trying to figure out what was wrong with Cleo's story. She could not remember the events that led to Lewis being attacked, but she felt that there was something missing from both their stories. Cleo eventually left, heading home to see if she could get ahold of Lewis to apologise, leaving Rikki alone with her thoughts.

 _The only time Lewis has really been afraid of us is when he first found out, and that was because we took him by surprise. Whatever he's afraid of it has to be something new to him._ Rikki thought, unconsciously swirling her fingers slowly around the surface of the water, tracing nonsense patterns absentmindedly. _But there isn't anything new to him, not really. He know how to deal with our powers, our new ones are just amped up versions of those. It can't be that._ Rikki's thoughts quickly became circular, he's only afraid of the new and unknown but nothing about this situation is new or unknown to him, so it must be something else. She quickly became frustrated, her gentle stroking of the water's surface ending in favour of a sharp slap, sending tiny droplets of water soaring through the air. Rikki growled slightly in frustration, she really needed to talk to Lewis or this was going to drive her insane.

Rikki turned to leave but stopped short, something in her mind sliding into place. Lewis had said the day before that he was lifted into the air by the cyclone before being dropped. _How high had he been lifted?_ Rikki thought, eyes snapping up to the ceiling. If he had been carried up by the cyclone he would have been lifted quite high. _How did he survive that fall with just a few bumps and scrapes?_ She glanced around the cave, looking at the walls, the sandy floor, anything that could tell give her answers. She was met with nothing but the sound of dripping water. She sighed, rubbing her face trying to soothe her emerging headache. She needed to speak to Lewis anyway, she could ask him when she saw him next.

Rikki took one last look around the cave before slipping silently beneath the water and out to sea.

* * *

Zane Bennett had not expected much upon returning to the Gold Coast, perhaps a lukewarm welcome from Rikki and some time goofing off with Nate before heading back to school. He certainly did not expect Rikki Chadwick to storm past, looking like she was trying to unravel the secrets of the universe with a furious glare. Zane had returned to the Gold Coast the day before, after returning from a term in boarding school, his father insisting that he spend time away until the mermaid debacle blew over. Zane was still known as the crazy kid who thinks he saw a mermaid. However, the town had long since moved past that piece of gossip and chosen a new target for the rumour mill. Nate had been the only one to stick by Zane throughout the mermaid incident, despite his flaws he was a good friend. So, when Nate had asked for help fixing his Zodiac, Zane had agreed without hesitation. Zane smiled as Rikki passed him, hoping to engage in some form of conversation. She did not seem to notice his presence, staring at the ground in front of her with a calculating expression and a purposeful stride. Zane frowned as he watched her pass him without a word.

 _Perhaps a lukewarm welcome was too much to hope for then._ He thought to himself sarcastically. It was probably for the best that she did not acknowledge him. Any conversation that they did strike up would be marred with the fact that he was the one that hunted her and her friends down, getting them caught by a slightly psychotic marine biologist. He still felt guilty about that, and Rikki acknowledged it but they both knew it would take time. If she had not spoken to him, then it clearly had not been enough. Climbing off his dirt bike and peeling his helmet from his head, Zane watched as she strode purposefully toward the entrance of the marina. _Now, why is she here?_ Zane sighed, before heading in himself to meet up with Nate, hoping that he could avoid an awkward conversation with Rikki while desperately wanting to see her again.

 _Great,_ he thought as he turned the corner, making direct eye contact with Rikki. _Why wouldn't she be stood right in the entrance?_ Rikki was stood on the deck of the marina, a small breeze stirring the stray wisps of her blonde curls that had escaped her braids, frowning at the occupant of a small tin boat. _What has Lewis done now?_ The blond boy was facing away from the entrance, but from the way that his shoulders were tensed it was obvious that Rikki was not giving him an easy time. Rikki's borderline ranting ceased mid sentence as her eyes met Zane's. Lewis followed her attention, landing his own on the dark haired boy, his eyes grew wide before he turned back around and began fiddling with the boat's motor with renewed intensity.

Zane smirked, giving a subtle nod and a wink, before walking along the dock that the pair were on, heading for where Nate moored his boat. As he walked past the pair their discussion renewed at a much quieter volume but with no less intensity.

"... out about last night. There's something you're not telling us Lewis and you know it." Rikki hissed in a hushed tone. "You don't get like this."

"What do you want me to say? I've told you all that I can remember. It's not like..." The rest was unclear to as Zane wandered out of earshot.

 _Why would Lewis not remember anything? His brain is like a supercomputer._ Zane narrowed his eyes, conjuring a strange sense of déjà vu. It reminded him of the frenzied conversations the girls would have when the thought that no one was paying attention, but stopped the second anyone got too close. But that was back when they were more magically inclined. Zane shook his head. He did not know why he was getting so paranoid, the girls had given up their magic, they were safe. Yet this was out of character for both parties involved; if it had been Rikki and Emma, or Cleo and Lewis it might have made more sense. But it was Lewis and Rikki. That confused Zane more than anything else. _Perhaps more has changed around here than I thought._

He greeted Nate with a shout and a brief hug, it had been months since he had seen his delinquent friend and Zane had to admit he missed the antics that the boy had gotten them into over the years; boarding school was incredibly dull in comparison. Nate returned the greeting with just as much enthusiasm, smiling and laughing as if they were never apart.

"So, how's the new school?" Nate asked, crossing his arms in mock distain. "As stuck up as you thought?"

"Worse. It's so boring; all neat little uniforms. 'Dedicated to educating the leaders of tomorrow'" Zane rolled his eyes, inwardly groaning at the thought.

"Sounds like you." Sarcasm dripped from Nate's voice as he smirked.

"I miss anything then?"

"Nah, been right dull since you left. I hang around the dirt bike track sometimes, run a couple laps, but not really the same level of fun. I swear some of those guys only know how to talk about engines, anything else and they're a thousand miles away."

"Sounds fun." Zane said, his voice monotone from sarcasm, face scrunched into a slight grimace. "Well, looks like I'll have to jog your memory on what fun actually is, then"

"Solid, but gotta fix the Zodiac first."

"Let's crack on then. You still remember your way around a boat engine, or is that head of yours just filled with bike parts?" Zane quipped, stepping down onto the red boat, grinning. Nate snorted, rolling his eyes slightly before joining his friend.

"You're the one that's not been here, if anyone has forgotten anything it's you." Retorted Nate, eliciting an amused exhale to escape Zane's lips.

Zane pulled the casing off of the Zodiac's outboard engine, exposing the mess of pipes, tubes and wires beneath before getting to work.

* * *

Rikki was fuming. The more that Lewis spoke, the more he lied, the angrier it made her. She balled her fists up at her sides, tensing her shoulders as heat rose in her face. Lewis claimed that he had no memory of the night of the full moon; that he blacked out after the girls lifted him into the air. But Rikki knew better. Lewis was not a good liar, he stuttered and stammered, looking anywhere but the person he was talking to. He played with a piece of wire, wrapping and unwrapping it around his left hand in anxious motions. His entire body was screaming anxiety, deceit and fear. Rikki squeezed her fists tighter, resisting the urge to stamp her foot against the tin floor of the tiny boat and grinding her teeth. Eventually, her resolve broke and her once quiet hissing became an exasperated snap.

"Why are you being like this? You're being ridiculous!" At that Lewis' head swivelled up to meet hers.

" _I'm_ being ridiculous?" He scoffed. "You're the one that's come down here and started berating me. What did I do?"

"You made Cleo upset, which never happens, and what she told me worried me. And now you're being all evasive and acting all terrified? How am I supposed to react to that?"

"You're not! It has nothing to do with you! Just-"

"Nothing to do with me? It has everything to do with me! You're my friend, _Cleo_ is my friend and you called me to sort this out in the first place!"

"Great, you did it. Now leave me alone."

"How is it sorted if you're going around looking like someone is after you?"

"I can deal with it myself-"

"Clearly not if you're acting like this! We can help you Lewis."

"I think you've done enough, thanks." Rikki physically took a step back in shock, raising her eyebrows.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She said flatly. Lewis groaned, violently rubbing his brow. He was getting a headache.

"Ugh, nothing. I just-"

"It sounded like something." Rikki said, feigning curiosity. "Please, if there is something wrong, you go right ahead."

Lewis' eyes found the gentle waves that were lapping beneath the marina's docks, unwilling to meet the gaze of his interrogator. As Rikki pushed further, Lewis erupted in a sudden burst of anger, his teeth flashing in a snarl.

"JUST LEAVE IT."

He breathed heavily for a moment, his face slowly screwing up in regret. Rikki looked as if she was going to retaliate, her brow casting dark shadows for a moment before relaxing into a state of neutrality. She shook her head and turned to get out of the boat. Lewis grabbed her wrist gently, the start of an apology manifesting on his lips only to die just as quickly. Rikki whirled around, shaking her arm free with such force that Lewis stumbled back, before losing his footing and crashing into the bay. Rikki never made it out of the boat before she turned around, searching for Lewis in the water.

* * *

Zane had just got the motor working when he heard the splash, his head snapping up to face the distant sound. His gaze landed on Rikki, searching the water for something, her eyebrows knitting together as more time passed. Zane frowned. _What is she looking for?_ A minute passes before her face relaxes, seemingly coming to some realisation before walking, or rather stomping, away from Lewis' boat. To his surprise, she did not turn towards the exit, but rather made her way further down the docks. Rikki, while still thunderously mad, had a face of solid, stony determination and clarity. Zane thought she could not look more beautiful in that moment. Her hair was being churned up by a light breeze that was emphasised by the shear speed that she was marching down the wooden docks. Her eyes were like steel, fierce and sharp as they moved over the environment. Zane loved her like this; all fire, determination and passion. She was his warrior, ready to face any and all foes that dare to challenge her. Especially him.

As she reached Nate's Zodiac, Zane quickly excused himself and called out to her, hopping onto the dock and into her path. She turned towards him, the inferno behind her eyes dimming a bit, before sliding on her mask of apathy. Zane smiled at that, she missed him.

"Now is not the time, Zane." She said with a huff. "I'm really not in the mood to make niceties with you."

"You're never in the mood to make niceties anyway, you're always to the point." He smirked. Rikki rolled her eyes.

"Here's me getting to the point then, I'm busy, you're in my way."

"What are you busy doing?"

"Nothing."

"Then you aren't busy enough not to talk to me."

"Oh, sorry, let me rephrase. None of your business." Rikki tried to pass him then, barging his shoulder as she did so. Zane grabbed her upper arm.

"Rikki, wait." He said, eyes meeting, beseeching her to listen. "I just wanted to see you, make sure that you were okay after..." He paused, briefly looking at the ground in shame. "After the Denman business."

Rikki sighed, running her fingers through her hair, glancing at the path that was now behind her. Her resolve broke, making way for a small amount of compassion to creep its way onto her face.

"Everything is fine, Zane. Thank you. Denman didn't bother us again and we're all still normal." The bitterness started to sneak its way back into her tone, before Nate cut her off.

"Zane, come on, are we going or what?" Zane turned briefly, addressing his friend.

"Give us a sec." He called back, before returning his attention to Rikki. "It's not just that though. It must be weird going back to being normal, it was a part of your life. I'm not sure I would have been able to give it up..." He trailed off.

Rikki was taken aback by that, her head tilting sideways, eyebrows squeezed together in confusion. She opened her mouth to ask something, only to be cut off once again. Instead of a voice, it was a wave of cold water. Nate, in his impatience had revved the motor of the Zodiac, causing the propellor to spin rapidly, kicking seawater up onto the dock where the two were standing. Zane whirled around, irritated at Nate, berating his friend for their impatience. Rikki, however, became panicked. Her state of mind immediately shifting into flight. Her eyes darted from one point to another searching for somewhere to hide or dive. She found none.

 _Ten seconds._ That's all she had. She grabbed Zane's arm, not sparing a second as she asked for help in a low, desperate voice. One look at Rikki's face told him that it was serious. _Help with what_ _?_ He clawed at an explanation. After a few seconds he managed to put two and two together, silently questioning her as he did so. _Crap_.

"Run." He said, pushing her slightly as he whipped round, shouting to Nate about the fuel line being damaged and that he could have caused an explosion. Nate immediately drew his focus to the pipe, turning his back to disappearing blonde. Zane watched her run to the end of the dock before diving off. It was then that he realised that his heart was beating against his ribs so fast he thought it would burst through. He sat down heavily on the edge of the dock and groaned, trying his best to calm himself as Nate rattled on about the sate of his engine.


End file.
